All cases

ÖCV (Austrian Catholic Cartel Association) Resistance Memorial Smeared by Vandals

January 19, 2021, Austria

In the morning hours of January 19th, the ÖCV (Austrian Catholic Cartel Association) house was vandalized. A group of left-wing extremists entered the ÖCV house and smeared several signs in the entrance area with black paint. The plaque at the memorial for the victims and resistance fighters from the rank of the ÖCV was demolished with red paint and elsewhere anarchist symbols were left behind.

Vandals Destroyed A Church In Kaźmierz

January 18, 2021, Poland

On January 18th, the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kaźmierz was vandalized. Unknown perpetrators destroyed three stained glass windows in the church and smashed three windows in the sacristy. Priests and parishioners are very upset.

Twenty-Five Graves Vandalized in Saint-Jean d'Assé

January 18, 2021, France

On 18th January 2021, twenty-five graves in the cemetery of Saint-Jean-d’Assé have been desecrated and vandalized. Crosses and crucifies were broken and other objects were damaged. The unknown perpetrators created two fake graves using broken and vandalized objects that have been stolen from other graves. The mayor, Emmanuel Clément filled a complaint to the police and asked for witnesses.

Threats to Sacristan and Vandalism at Catholic Peter and Paul Church

January 15, 2021, Germany

On January 15th, the sacristan of the Peter and Paul Church in Lahr identified an unknown perpetrator, who had been damaging objects and behaving in a very undignified manner. The priest reported that the holy water vessels were torn from the anchoring, the disinfection bottle was on the floor, and the man defecated inside the church. The sacristan then prohibited the man to return, which led to him becoming abusive and threatening to kill the sacristan and blow up the church. Charges were filed and after a police investigation, the man got arrested.

Thirty- Three Graves Vandalized at the Guédéniau cemetery

January 15, 2021, France

On the 15 of January, around thirty graves in the Guédéniau cemetery in Baugé-en-Ajou were vandalized. The prefect condemned the acts and an investigation was opened by the gendarmerie as to who did it. The prefect said: "I give my full support to the mayor, the residents, and the injured families."

A Man Opposed To Euthanasia Is Ordered To Die Of Hunger And Thirst

January 13, 2021, United Kingdom

On November 6th, a middle aged man identified as RS fell into a coma after a heart attack left him with a severe and permanent brain damage. The man's wife and children supported the decision to turn off his life support system so he could die while receiving palliative care. The University Hospital Plymouth in the UK successfully applied for a permission to do so at the court. The patient's mother and sister argued that as a practicing Catholic, the man would refuse to be taken off life support because of his faith. They also claimed in an appeal to an English court, that the man's condition had improved and presented video footage take with a cell phone, showing the patient blinking and crying while they were in the room. The appeal was rejected by the English court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Suspended Pro-Life Midwifery Student in Nottingham University Received Apology

January 13, 2021, United Kingdom

Julia Rynkiewicz, a final year midwifery student, was victim to a 4-month long suspension and "fitness to practice" investigation due to her support and involvement with the “Nottingham Students for Life” society, where she served as president. After four months, on the 13. January, the investigation was dismissed by the Committee. As Julia realized she was unfairly targeted for her beliefs, she lodged a complaint with the support of ADF International UK. After the case was settled, Julia received an apology from the university.

Statue of Virgin Mary Decapitated in Leinefelde

January 11, 2021, Germany

An unknown vandal cut off the head of the figure of the Virgin Mary outside the Church of St. Maria Magdalena in Leinefelde on January 14th. The parish priest found smashed beer bottles nearby the Stations of the Cross and also reported the incident to the police, who investigated it. The property damage was not quite known yet but would be fixed "as soon as possible."

Chaplain Banned From Prison Work For Revealing Islamic Extremism At The HM Prison in Brixton

January 9, 2021, United Kingdom

Christian prison chaplain Paul Song was suspended from work after he has made the incident when a group of Islamic extremists stormed a chapel gathering and hijacked his bible meeting public. After his Sunday Mail interview about the incident he was banned indefinitely from working in London jails. After being punished for whistleblowing and exposing the influence of Muslim gangs at HM Prison Brixton, he is taking legal actions. At the High Court hearing on January 12th the Lawyers will seek a judicial review of the decision.

Suspected Arson at Holy Spirit Church in Vienna

January 9, 2021, Austria

The Holy Spirit Church in Vienna has to be completely renovated due to heavy sooting after a fire on January 9th. According to the Archdiocese of Vienna, the "fire event", reported to the police, could have been an arson attack. A box of cushions was burning, which caused a lot of soot. "We suspect that the cushions were set on fire. There are no candles near the scene of the fire and people usually don not smoke in a church." Michael Prüller, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Vienna stated. The church will remain closed indefinitely.

Former Spanish Deputy Encourages Violence and Vandalism to Churches

January 9, 2021, Spain

Marga Ferré, Izquierda Unida's former deputy in the Madrid Assembly for two terms, has encouraged young girls to enter churches without clothes and has applauded the demolition of statues. In a chat with six other communist women, this journalist made statements that glorify vandalism against Christian sites, considering it "amusing".

Lutheran Church in Leipzig Attacked with Stones and Paint by Left Extremists

January 6, 2021, Germany

The St. Lukas Church in Leipzig was vandalized with paint and stones by left extremists. The portal image was damaged with paint bags and windows were smashed with stones. On January 6th, the left extremist platformed indymedia, which is monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, claimed to be the originator of the attack in an online letter. It stated: "Assembly for Moria - Smash Christian-White Europe. We attacked a Lutheran church in Leipzig to start our Monday campaign for Moria. We attacked with stones and paint". The case and the validity of the letter will be further investigated.

Christmas Tree in Vienna Trenched with Gasoline "because it doesn't belong in a Muslim district"

January 1, 2021, Austria

On New Year's Eve, around 20-30 adolescents had gathered in Vienna, attacking shops, apartment balconies and other facilities on a public square with explosive pyrotechnical supplies. They also poured a diesel-gasoline mixture over a Christmas tree. Several trash cans flew against windows damaging the surrounding shop windows. "A Christmas tree has no place in a Muslim district, said one of the rioters," a member of the emergency services stated. The rioting mob also attacked the police officers by throwing firecrackers at them and shouting "Allahu Akbar"slogans. Four people were arrested immediately and the local government initiated a new security strategy for the area.

Angel Statues Stolen from Church in Polla

January 1, 2021, Italy

Statues of Angels were stolen from the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Polla but fortunately have been discovered again and returned. The angels together with an altar from the 18th century were stolen in January 2021. As the angels date back to 1700 they carry a high historical value. The police Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Naples discovered the stolen angels in a private house in the Neapolitan area. It is planned to hand them over during a ceremony on 21 June, to celebrate both, the church's reopening as well as the recovery of the stolen angels.

Graves In Fontainebleau Desecrated With Swastikas

December 28, 2020, France

In the night of December 28th, about sixty graves in the municipal cemetery of Fontainebleau were desecrated with swastikas. "67 old or recent stelae were vandalised with swastikas in pink, white and silver," said Fontainebleau's LR mayor Frédéric Valletoux. The Jewish cemetery, which is next to the town's main cemetery, was not desecrated, according to the Fontainebleau prosecutor's office, which has launched an investigation into "damage to graves". On Twitter, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said he was "disgusted by the desecration of the cemetery" and stressed that "everything will be done to find the perpetrators of this desecration".

Troublemakers Break Into A Church Proclaiming 'Allah' on the Altar

December 27, 2020, Spain

On December 27, unknown perpetrators who broke into a church in Murcia, Spain, climbed onto the altar and were arrested proclaiming 'Allah'. "We tried to get them to leave, but there was no way, and then the police were called. And the police had two patrols here within five minutes," said Silvestre del Amor, a parish priest and witness to what happened. Members of the National Police asked the subjects to show identification, but they had no documents with them. The perpetrators were taken to the police station and charged with a crime against religious feelings.

Burglar arrested In Grantham After an Attack on St Wulfram's Church

December 25, 2020, United Kingdom

A man robbed St Wulfram's Church in Grantham on Christmas morning, 25 December, after smashing a historic stained glass window. Lee Gray, who is now under arrest, destroyed items inside the church and then stole cash and the safe which contained valuable books and confidential documents. Among the stolen items was an original manuscript of a book about St Wulfram, the church's patron saint. The broken stained glass window caused £6,500 worth of damage and the church had to spend a further £5,000 replacing the locks. The total cost of the damage and stolen items was £15,229.

In Perpignan: A Convert Couple Deported and will be Sentenced to Death in Iran

December 24, 2020, France

Ata Fathimaharloei, his wife, Somayeh Hajifoghaha, and their two children converted to Christianity from Islam and sought asylum in France. The Christian refugee family in Pyrenees-Orientales are threatened with deportation and death sentence in their home country.

Nativity Scene Destroyed With Petrol Bomb on Christmas Eve

December 24, 2020, United Kingdom

A nativity scene in Raglan, Monmouthshire was destroyed with a petrol bomb on Christmas Eve. The perpetrators are unknown and a reward of £2,500 has been offered to anyone who can trace the culprit. The nativity scene had been installed in a bus shelter to bring joy to families over Christmas. The petrol bomb set the statues of a shepherd, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus on fire, all were completely destroyed.

Protestant Mayor Charged for not Willing to Bless Homosexual Couples

December 24, 2020, France

Franck Meyer, evangelical mayor of a small town in Normandy, Sotteville-sous-le-Val, has now been accused by two LGBT associations. The evangelical mayor, president of the Protestant Committee for Human Dignity (CPDH), declared that he would not bless a marriage "between two men or two women" out of fidelity to his religious convictions. He called for a "conscience clause", as exists in the case of infant baptism or for doctors who oppose abortion, but which does not apply to elected representatives. For the lawyer of the two LGBT associations, Franck Meyer's remarks constitute "discrimination committed by a person with public authority in the course of his functions". Meyer vehemently contradicted this in a press release on 17 December: "I therefore formally deny the accusations of discrimination made against me and consider that they amount to a defamatory denunciation. "